How Industrial Policyholders Handle a Hail Claim Can Have a Big Impact on the Outcome

Industrial policyholders often have trouble getting what they really deserve from their claims for hail damage, and it isn’t always the insurance company’s fault. In fact, how policyholders choose to interact with the claims agent and work with the insurance company through the process can a big impact on the success or failure of the claim. If you want to be treated honestly and fairly by the insurance company, then you also have to put in the effort to get what you need out of a hail-damage claim.

What Kind of Treatment Are You Looking for From Your Industrial Hail Insurance Company?

You may expect a certain kind of treatment from the company that handles the hail coverage you pay for, but you still hold some responsibility for setting the tone of the interaction. When you submit a claim for hail damage to an industrial property, you should also try to be:

• Honest. You want your insurer to be honest with you, but you also need to be honest about the real extent of your losses. Never lie about inflate damages to try to get more than you are due out of your insurance company.
• Fair. If you want to be treated fairly, then you also need to act fairly when filing a hail-damage claim. Be realistic about your expectations, and understand when it might be necessary to accept a payment for less than you planned on.
• Professional. Although the process is frustrating, remaining professional in communications with the insurance company can go a long way toward settling disputes. This might mean both avoiding verbal disputes with insurance adjusters and making sure that you aren’t overly friendly or talkative—it really is possible to “say too much” and give the insurance company potential fuel for denying or undervaluing a hail claim. 

Learn more about the insurance industry and what to expect from claims of all kinds by reading through our free book, Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse, and Refuse, or contact our legal office directly at 888-614-7730 for help with a difficult claim.